Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic
by I Am The Krow
Summary: Act Two of CJ's Adventures. An eighteen-year-old boy named CJ gets a surprise when he falls through a hole in the ground and ends up in Ooo. Rated T for paranoia :P My OC will be the main character, by the way.
1. Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

One day, a young, eighteen-year-old boy named CJ was walking home from school. It was a normal summer's afternoon. CJ was wearing a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, white Nike tennis shoes, and a black fedora, his usual get-up. He had had a pretty normal day, algebra being a bitch as usual. He was contemplating homework when he noticed a rather large hole in the ground at the base of a tree, just behind a cherrygrove bush. He was ignoring it until his foot caught on a root protruding from the tree. He yelled out loud as he saw he was dropping toward the hole. He fell straight through it, his yell growing to a scream. He fell into complete darkness.

* * *

CJ rolled over and over in the air, or what it seemed. He couldn't even see his arms in the inky, black darkness. Then he hit some kind of ground. He started rolling again, and then he lost his fedora. CJ shot his hand out in time to save the black hat. He thrust it back in his head. The rolling down the ground ensued. Then CJ saw a light and that he was rolling down a dirt hill from what he could see from the light. The light came closer with each roll, until the light was almost touchable. CJ burst from the tunnel and out into a grassy field. The light stung his eyes from being in the tunnel for so long.

_More like after falling for so long in the tunnel..._ thought CJ. He looked around. He was in the middle of a forest, from what he could tell. He didn't recognize the place. Then he heard yelling coming toward where he was.

"You can't catch us, Ice King!" a person yelled. There was some kind of zapping noise after the person said that.

"I will get you for that, boy!" another person yelled back. Then, two people and a dog flew from the trees and into the field. A boy and the dog crashed into CJ, the lot of them sent sprawling to the ground. The other person looked stranger than anything CJ had ever seen. He was a blue-skinned man, with a white beard as long as he was. He wore a blue tunic and had a gold crown on his head, on which was laid with three red gems. He was actually flying, his beard flapping. CJ, the boy, and the dog all got up, the dog surprising CJ by standing on two legs. Even more to CJ's amazement, the dog spoke.

"Ugh. That sucked." He grumbled. They turned toward the blue-skinned man who was still in the air. The boy spoke next.

"Get ready to get your face beaten in, Ice King!" the boy said. The blue-skinned man spoke after the boy.

"Silence, you fools!" the man, CJ assumed was Ice King, said back. He then raised his arms and his fingers lit up with a blue light. Then bolts of light flew from Ice King's fingertips. The boy and the dog jumped out of the way, but CJ didn't know. He dodged at the last second, almost getting his arm zapped. One bolt hit his hand, though, and his hand was instantly covered in ice. CJ held the frozen hand in his other hand. It felt like a ten-pound weight. He looked up. The boy was holding a sword, swinging it at the Ice King. The Ice King shot more ice bolts at the boy, with the boy deflecting them off his sword. The dog was stretching like a rubber band, zipping out of the way of the Ice King's ice bolts that were shot his way. The boy finally got a hit in and punched the Ice King in the face, knocking him out. The dog shrank back down to his normal size. CJ walked up to them, still holding his frozen left hand.

"Ugh. Freaking idiot froze my hand..." he mumbled. The boy and the dog turned to him.

"Hey there. I'm Finn!" the boy said, smiling. The dog introduced himself next.

"And I'm Jake. Nice to meet ya, dude!" the dog said, smiling as well. They waved at CJ. CJ waved with his good hand. CJ walked over to a tree and smashed his left hand against it, breaking the ice off. He wiggled his fingers and moved his wrist around, checking to see if his hand still worked after being frozen. He walked back to Finn and Jake.

"Well, Finn, Jake. I should probably get going. It was nice meeting you!" CJ said. He turned in the direction of the tunnel. His jaw dropped in horror. The tunnel had caved in. There were bits of ice clinging to the rubble. The ice bolt that hadn't hit CJ's hand must have hit it and collapsed the entrance. CJ ran to the tunnel, clawing at the dirt when he got there. He stood up and kicked the dirt, face-palming in anger.

"Well, there went my ticket out of here. Now I'm stuck here." CJ said, walking back to Finn and Jake. Finn closed his eyes and thought. Finn's eyelids snapped open after a few seconds.

"Hey, dude. Maybe you could come back to the tree fort. We got plenty of space over there." he said. Jake thought about it, and frowned.

"Are you sure, dude? We don't even know this guy." Jake asked.

"Dude, I already told you before. It's my duty as a hero to help anyone in need. And this guy needs a place to stay until he finds a way to return to where he came from. C'mon, man!" Finn replied. Jake gave in.

"Alright, man. He can stay." Jake said. CJ smiled.

"Thanks guys. I appreciate it." he said. Then the trio made their way back to the tree fort, beginning the start of a brand new adventure.

/

_And so I begin my first ever Adventure Time fanfic._

_Uuuuuhh... I couldn't really think of a name for my created character, so I just used a piece of my own name. Gah!_

_Anyways, let me know how I did on the first chapter. Read and review, please!_

_CJ Lightning 24, outta here!_


	2. Chapter 2: Explanations, Explanations

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic

Chapter Two: Explanations, Explanations

CJ, Finn, and Jake walked over a grassy hill and saw the tree fort in the distance. They continued walking. Finn and Jake were talking about something that had to do with a place called the Candy Kingdom. CJ had been grateful for Finn and Jake letting him stay with them until he found out a way to get back where he came from. The walking ensued until they reached the tree fort. It was huge! It was probably the same size as a castle, or probably a little smaller. Finn opened the door and walked in. Jake and CJ followed. The room they entered was bare except for a ladder against the wall. Finn and Jake walked over to it and started climbing. CJ followed their example. Once they had reached the next room, Finn asked CJ a question.

"So, dude, what's your name? You never did tell us when we were back at the forest." Finn asked.

"My name's CJ." CJ answered. He held out his hand. Finn shook his head.

"Dude, we don't shake hands here. We give each other high fives." Finn said. He and Jake demonstrated. Finn then held up his hand to CJ. CJ high-fived it.

"That's the spirit! Come on, we'll show ya around." Finn said, motioning for CJ to follow him.

"This is our living room we're in right now." Finn said pointing at the open air in the room they were in.

"This is the kitchen. I remember the time when Jake made an Everything Burrito in here." he said smiling, as they walked into the next room. They walked to another ladder. They all climbed it. Once everyone had climbed up, Finn started talking again.

"And the last part of the tour, our bedroom. That's my bed over there." Finn said, pointing to a bed covered in animal skins and a sleeping bag.

"And that's Jake's bed over there." Finn pointed over to a drawer which had a pillow at the end and a blanket drooping over the edge.

CJ turned to Jake. "You sleep in a drawer?"

Jake frowned. "Yeah, so? You got a problem with it?"

CJ waved his hands in front of him. "No, of course not! I think it's pretty cool."

Jake smiled. "You think it's cool? Thanks, man."

Finn put his hand on CJ's shoulder. "Come on, dude. I'll show you where you sleep."

CJ followed after Finn, who was climbing down the ladder. The two went back to the living room.

"You sleep on the couch. Well, have a good night, man. I'm going to bed." Finn said walking away.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you guys. I really appreciate it." CJ said back.

"No problem, man. What are pals for?" Finn turned and walked away, going up the ladder. CJ turned to the couch. He lay down, thinking of his day.

_Falling into a hole, fighting a messed up guy called the Ice King, and meeting two new friends named Finn and Jake. Not bad for an average joker like me..._ CJ thought, folding his hands over his stomach and closing his eyes.

* * *

CJ's eyes shot open. He sat up and rubbed his forehead. He got up and walked over to a window. It was still early morning, judging from the darkness. He was about to walk back to the couch and pass out again when he saw a shadow on the ground outside. It looked like someone was on top of the house. CJ opened the window. A gray...something popped into view, covering CJ's vision.

"Hey, Finn." CJ screamed and fell onto his back. There was a young woman upside down, sticking her head into the window. She had pale, gray skin and long, black hair.

"Wait a minute. You're not Finn! What're you doing in his house?" the woman said questioningly. CJ spoke quickly and told the woman of the events of the previous day. She laughed.

"So, you're name's CJ. I'm Marceline, the Vampire Queen. Pretty wild story, by the way. You fell through a hole and ended up in this place, huh? That's pretty wild." the woman said, floating through the window.

"Cool, you can fly!" CJ said.

"Yep, I can fly. I am a vampire after all." Marceline said, grinning. CJ got up off the floor and yawned.

"Yeah, well we can talk more later. I'm going back to sleep." he said, walking back to the couch and laying down.

"Cool. I'll come back later." Marceline said, floating back outside. CJ raised an eyebrow at her remark, but ignored it and went back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: Ruckus In The Kingdom

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic

Chapter Three: Ruckus in the Candy Kingdom

CJ blinked a couple of times. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. He looked over at the window. Sunlight was shining in, bathing the room in a golden light. CJ stood up and stretched his limbs. He recounted what had happened earlier that morning. It was about two in the morning when a vampire named Marceline the Vampire Queen stuck her head in the window and scared the bajeebus out of him. CJ heard voices in the kitchen, so he went there. Finn and Jake were sitting at a table, eating breakfast. Finn noticed him and waved to him.

"Sup, man?" Finn said. Jake turned around and waved at him, too, then he turned back to his food. CJ waved back at Finn.

"Nothin' much. What's up with you guys?" CJ said.

"We were planning on taking you to the Candy Kingdom and showing you everyone." Finn said.

"Cool. What are you guys eating? Bacon and eggs?"

Jake turned around again and nodded. After Finn and Jake finished eating, Finn got his backpack and went to the ladder. They all climbed down the ladder and went out the door. The trio walked through the fields, coming upon strange trees that were pink and had pink leaves.

"What the heck are those?" CJ asked, pointing at the trees.

"Those are cotton candy trees. Go ahead, grab some and eat it." Finn said. CJ walked up to one of the pink trees and grabbed a handful of the leaves. CJ turned back to Finn.

"Eh...you sure?" he asked.

"I am absolutely positive. Go ahead!" Finn answered. CJ shrugged and took a bite. The leaves tasted exactly like strawberry cotton candy! CJ grinned and took another bite of the leaves. He wolfed down the leaves, licking his fingers after he had finished eating most of the bundle of sweet-tasting plants.

"Yummy." CJ said, walking back to Finn and Jake. Finn frowned.

"This reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it." he said.

"Reminds me of the time we found that hatch, you know, the one where we found the fish people. Remember we invited one of them up to the surface, the one named Susan Strong, and we took her to the Candy Kingdom and she and the fish people nearly ate the Candy Kingdom?" Jake said.

"Oh, yeah. I remember now." Finn said. CJ looked skeptically at them.

"Ehm, say what now? Who in the unholy spit is Susan Strong?" CJ asked.

"We'll tell you that story later. For now, let's just go into the Candy Kingdom." Jake said. The trio walked through the front gate. Creatures of every shape and size were walking around. They looked like candy corn, candy bars, suckers, gumdrops, and every other candy under the sun. Even the buildings and lamp posts were made of candy.

"Hey, Princess Bubblegum. How are you today, m'lady?" Finn said to a pink-skinned and pink-haired woman that had walked up to them, who was accompanied by a peppermint in a tuxedo.

"Good morning, Finn. And who is your guest?" Princess Bubblegum said.

"Oh. This is CJ." Finn replied.

"Greetings, CJ. Welcome to the Candy Kingdom." Princess Bubblegum said to CJ.

"Pleasure to meet ya, ma'am." CJ said, tipping his hat to the princess. He looked down at the peppermint person.

"And who would you be?"

"I am Peppermint Butler. I am the caretaker of Princess Bubblegum." said the peppermint with a bow. Then, a sillhouetted figure came flying over the wall of the Candy Kingdom. The figure swooped down and landed right next to Finn.

"Hey, Marceline. Hey CJ, I'd like you to meet-." Finn said. CJ crossed his arms and waved his hand.

"IIII've already met her." he interrupted. Finn gawked at him.

"Where in the heck did you meet Marcie?" Finn asked.

"Ehm, she was on top of your tree house last night. I checked to see who was casting the shadow, and Marceline just popped her head in. She questioned me about why I was in your guys' house, I told her about the whole adventure about me falling down the hole, etcetera, etcetera. And then she introduced herself and left, saying she was gonna come back today." CJ told the group of people standing in front of him.

"Yep, that's exactly what happened. I checked at your guys' house to see if you were there and you weren't there. So I came here, and here I am." Marceline said.

"Yes, well, that was a great story and all, but I really should be getting back to the castle. I'm working on a new experiment. Good-bye, friend-." That was all Princess Bubblegum was able to say before an explosion ruptured a hole in the kingdom wall. Chaos followed the explosion. Candy people were running about, screaming.

"We're under attack! Run for your lives!" One of the candy people shouted above the ruckus. Another sillhouette came through the wall. It looked like a strange person, if it was a person at all. It was a figure in a tattered, tan hood. Its face was a skull and it had creepy green orbs for eyes. Its arms and hands were blocked from view by green flames. The demon flung a green fireball at a gingerbread shop, blowing it apart. Finn, Jake, and the rest of the group were speechless.

"H-h-how is th-the L-L-Lich still a-alive? I though we destroyed him!" Finn wondered, flabbergasted.

"Apparently not, man!" Jake exclaimed. Finn jumped on Jake's back, drawing his sword as the magic dog stretched toward the hideous demon known as the Lich. The Lich swung around. Finn jumped from Jake's back and started swiping with his sword at the Lich's head. The Lich shot another fireball at the hero, Finn dodging just in time. Jake enlarged his fist and took a swing at the Lich. The Lich was hit right in the chest, but didn't seem to be affected as he shot a fireball at the dog. Jake stretched out of the way, the fireball blazing past and blowing up another candy house.

**"Puny mortal. You shall die!"** the Lich muttered in a gutteral growl. It grabbed Finn by the front of his shirt and tossed him like a ragdoll. Finn slammed with a great _Thump! _against the side of the wall of the kingdom. Jake shouted something CJ couldn't decipher and launched himself at the Lich with all his strength. The Lich repeated the process with Finn and knocked Jake to the side. CJ growled at the sight of his newfound friends lying there, motionless. He ran to Finn's unconscious body and took his sword. CJ then turned to the Lich who wasn't even looking at him. He charged at the demon. It turned around just as he dove with the sword, driving it through the Lich's stomach. The Lich roared and repeated the process with Finn and grabbed CJ by the front of his shirt.

**"I will destroy you!"** the Lich growled in his face, the skeleton-like hands lit aflame once more by the Lich's powers. CJ glared angrily at the face that surely meant his fate was sealed. He would be dead any second now, his body a pile of smouldering ashes. But the blast of green fire never came as an unseen force slammed into the Lich's back. CJ flew from the demon's grasp and landed into a nearby candy cane lamp post. He looked up and saw Finn and Jake had regained consciousness and were once again fighting the Lich. Finn had recovered his sword and was hacking away at the Lich's chest, tearing the demon apart. Jake was stretching and enlarging his fist and pummeling away at the Lich's head. Finn then jumped from his friend's back and flew at the Lich. Finn cut the demon right down the middle. The Lich roared in pain as it was vanquished. Black smoke appeared into view where the demon once stood, fading away as candy people came out of hiding. They cheered Finn's and Jake's names as they saw that the Lich was once again destroyed. Jake shrank back down and Finn was kneeling in the grass, clutching his stomach. Jake helped him to his feet as they were crowded by candy people popping out of their hiding places. They pushed their way through the crowd of candy people, coming to a stop by their friend.

"Hey, you alright, dude?" Finn asked as CJ clambered to his feet.

"My back is sore, but I don't think I'll die. How are you guys doing?" CJ answered.

"Oh, we'll be fine. We've fought that bozo before." Jake said reassuringly.

"Yeah. That was also the day Princess Bubblegum was turned thirteen. Pretty crazy adventure that was!" Finn commented. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline walked over to the trio as they stood back up laughing.

"Man, you guys looked like you went through a meat grinder!" exclaimed Marceline.

"I sure as heck feel like it!" CJ said.

"Well, at least the Lich is gone. That demon is pure evil." Princess Bubblegum added.

"Yeah. I got really mad when he knocked out Finn and Jake. I don't let people, demon or otherwise, mess with my friends. That's why I stabbed him with Finn's sword." CJ said. He, Finn, and Jake all high-fived each other.

"I think I'm gonna go home to the tree fort. See ya later guys!" CJ said to his friends as he departed for the gate. He stopped in his tracks when Princess Bubblegum spoke.

"We'll be having a victory feast for Finn and Jake's victory over the Lich. Don't you want to stay for it, CJ?" she asked. CJ turned around and smiled.

"I could probably stay for a soda or two. And by the way, I helped. Don't give them all the credit!" CJ said.

"Yeah. If he hadn't distracted the Lich, we'd probably be fried turkey right now!" Finn said. And then the group of freinds departed for the castle.


	4. Chapter 4: Party In The Candy Kingdom

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic

Chapter Four: Party In The Candy Kingdom

CJ smiled as he walked through the party they were having for CJ, Finn, and Jake's defeat of the Lich. Candy people were dancing around, laughing and waving their arms. Finn and Jake were chugging down cup after cup of punch at the snack table. CJ walked up to a nearby seat and dragged it over to them, sitting in it as he reached the boy and the dog.

"'Sup, guys? You enjoying the party?" CJ asked them. Finn sat down his empty cup.

"Heck yeah! This party is totally righteous!" Finn said, throwing his hands in the air. Jake finished his punch and set the cup down.

"Woohoo! This party is totally bananay!" the dog exclaimed. He started wiggling his arms in the air and dancing. Princess Bubblegum was up above the top of the stairs in a balcony, watching as her royal subjects enjoyed the occasion. The party continued for another two hours, still getting wild.

* * *

Two hours later...

It was midnight in the Candy Kingdom. CJ, Finn, and Jake were walking the front gate of the kingdom, their heads buzzing from the excitement of the party. The trio walked through the cotton candy trees, joking to each other and giving each other high-fives. Jake grabbed a bundle of cotton candy leaves and handed part of it to Finn and CJ. They munched on the leaves, savoring the moment.

"Man, that was one awesome party! Did you see you see how crazy the party got?" Finn said, finishing off his cotton candy leaves.

"Yeah, dude. It was nuts!" Jake exclaimed. Just then, a shooting star lit up the night sky.

"Hey, guys. Let's make a wish on it!" Finn suggested, closing his eyes. Jake and CJ did the same.

_I wish I could stay here with my friends forever._ CJ thought, smiling. He opened his eyes to see that the boy and the dog next to him still looking up at the night sky.

/

_Well, that was a short chapter. Anybody like the shooting star part? I know, it was kind of cheesy, but it was a perfect moment to do it in the story._

_Yeah, well, stuffs and stuffs. I'll try to put up the next chapter soon!_


	5. Chapter 5: The Dark Side

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic

Chapter Five: The Dark Side

CJ gasped awake from a terrible nightmare he had just been through, cold sweat drenching his face. It was of the Lich, coming once again for revenge against Finn and Jake. Except this time, he succeeded and killed the boy and his dog both on the spot with a blazing green fireball. The only thing left of his friends was a pile of black ashes. CJ thanked the Lord that it had just been a dream. He'd lost too many friends in his life already.

He yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around the blue room he was in. Wait a second...

What the hell? Why was he in a blue room? Why wasn't he back at the tree fort laying on the couch? He once again examined the room. It looked as though it was made of ice. CJ tapped his knuckle against the cold, hard floor he was laying on. Yep, it was ice. CJ punched the floor in despair. Who locked him up in a room made of ice and left him there? He looked at the east wall, which was actually a wall of ice bars. He got up and looked out. There was a hallway out in front of him, built completely of ice. Torches hung on the walls, lighting up the dismal place. CJ turned around and yelled as loud as he could.

"RAAAAH! WHO THE FLIP BROUGHT ME HERE? LET ME OUTTA HERE AND I'LL SPARE YOUR LIFE!" CJ bellowed in his outrage. He was met with a harsh laugh. He heard footsteps coming around the corner. Into his field of vision walked the Ice King.

"Oh, hello there. Nice to see you up bright and early." the blue man said evilly.

"If and when I get out of here, I will strangle you and ground your bones to dust, Ice King!" CJ threatened, grabbing the ice bars.

"You won't do such a thing. You are locked up tight. You are going to help me with something." Ice King said once more, a sinister smile spread across his lips.

"Like hell I am! You can't make me do anything!" CJ growled, attempting to shake the bars.

"Oh, I think you will. You are going to help me get Finn and Jake." Ice King said, opening the door. CJ launched at the Ice King immediately, but was stopped short with an ice bolt to the arm. Ice King grabbed his other arm and froze both arms together. He then froze CJ's legs together.

"Ergh. I can still tell them it's a trap." CJ snarled.

"No you won't. Heh, heh, heh." Ice King said, launching another ice bolt to his face. Ice wrapped around his mouth to the back of his head. If CJ had his arms free, he would have face-palmed. That was a dumb mistake, telling the Ice King that he could still tell his friends that it was a trap.

"Nighty night, CJ." Ice King said. He was pondering why the Ice King said this when he felt something smash into the back of his skull, knocking him out.

* * *

CJ awoke later at what looked like late morning. His mouth was still frozen shut, and his arms were still frozen in front of his torso. What he couldn't tell was why he was dangling from a tree. He looked behind him and saw a rope above him. He looked back in front of him and saw a rope tied around his chest.

_I bet __Sly__ never has to go through this crap...*_ CJ thought glumly. He looked around and saw the Ice King sitting in the opposite tree. The blue man looked at him with an evil grin and chuckled. He returned to looking at the trail, which was occupied by his two friends. They were cracking jokes to one another when Jake looked up at him and ran to him.

"Finn, come check this out! It's CJ!" The dog said. The boy ran over.

"Yeah, it is! How'd he get up there and why is he tied up?" Finn said in amazement.

"I dunno, but let's get him down. He looks scared." CJ was scared. He was scared of what Ice King would do to his friends when he sprung the trap. The Ice King sprang from the tree, ice bolts flying toward Finn and Jake. His friends were unprepared and were frozen alive.

/

_Fifth chapter in the bag!_

_*I mentioned another famous character. Yep, Sly Cooper! I'll be uploading a new story soon that goes into CJ's adventures with many famous different characters. You'll see when I upload it._


	6. Chapter 6: The Only Compass I'll Need

_Song chapter time!_

/

Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure Time Fic

Chapter Six: The Only Compass That I'll Need

CJ dangled hopelessly from the tree as he watched Ice King dump Finn and Jake unceremoniously into a dark red wheelbarrow. Ice King then walked over to the hapless human and cut him down with a blade made of ice, (what else?). He also broke off the ice over his mouth, being spewed with vocal venom after he did so.

"Gah! You son of a bitch! I'll kick your fuckin' ass! Unfreeze my arms, or else when I get out of these binds, I'll cut your arms off! Raah!" CJ tried to aim a kick at the blue man, but forgot his legs were frozen together.

"Now, now. It doesn't do good for a future servant to mouth at his master." Ice King said calmly.

"What makes you think I'll be your servant? For me to even do anything for you, which I won't, you'd have to unfreeze my arms and legs, which would then lead to the chopping off of your head!" CJ sneered.

"Oh, you'll see once we get back to the castle, boy." the old man replied with a dark grin. He then punched CJ in the head as hard as he could, knocking him out cold.

* * *

_And now I know, the only compass that I need, is the one, that leads back to you  
__And now I know, the only compass that I need, oh is the one, that leads back to you_

* * *

CJ woke up to more ice.

"Oh, come on. Isn't there something else in here but ice?" CJ complained. He looked around. He was sitting against the wall, except the ice around his arms and legs were replaced by ropes.

"How freakin' original. Now these I can get out of." CJ chuckled at the ropes, pulling out the Black Thorn boomerang. He clicked the crossbones, revealing the blades within.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you! Your "friends" will die." Ice King's voice said from above CJ.

"Why did you say friends as if Finn and Jake weren't?"

"Oh, please. They only save people so they can get what they want from them. At a Wizard Battle tournament, they broke the rules by interfering when there were only wizards allowed. They did this to save Princess Bubblegum from kissing me, for that was the prize, you see, but I knew for a fact, and from a little eavesdropping, that Finn did it only so he could get a kiss from the princess. How selfish is he?"

"Finn wouldn't use me. I don't have anything special to give him but friendship."

"Oh, yes he would use you. Not too long ago, I showed him and Jake a thing near and dear to your heart. He went crazy for it. He'll get rid of you just as soon as you have fulfilled your purpose to him. He'll toss you away like garbage to the trashcan."

"You're lying!"

"Oh, no I'm not! Well, anyways, if you do care for them, they are suspended above a pit of spikes and if you attempt to free yourself, I will let them drop."

"Fine, what do you want from me, Ice King?" CJ sighed, giving in.

"All I want is your allegiance."

"If you show me what Finn wanted from me and if you'll let them go, you've got it."

"Smart choice. Fine by me. Go ahead, free yourself." CJ cut himself out with the blades of the Black Thorn and leapt up. True to Ice King's word, Finn and Jake were suspended, unconscious, above a pit full of spikes. A rope ladder dropped to his right.

"Come on up, CJ. I'll show you what you want to see." Once again came Ice King's voice. CJ climbed up to an ice balcony to see Ice King.

* * *

_And the burning blisters on my feet will calm, _  
_So hold me as I'm close to flaw. _  
_Away from the warmth of your arms I stay, _  
_off the radar and into harm's way. _

_Now I know the only compass that I need, oh is the one that leads back to you. _

_Yeah, coffee will raise the head again, _  
_cokes that lead us from the pain. _  
_Words just sit like empty scribbles, _  
_such empty caffeinated widows._

* * *

"Okay, show me." CJ said, frowning.

"It's in the room behind this door past a curtain. I think you'll like this surprise." Ice King took out a ring of keys and put one into the keyhole. He turned the knob and walked in, motioning for CJ to follow. There was a red velvet curtain in the room they were in, which was lit by several torches hanging on the wall. CJ walked up to the curtain and turned back to Ice King.

"Can I?" CJ asked. Ice King nodded in reply. CJ's hand gripped the edge of the curtain. He took a deep breath and pulled the curtain back. The curtain flew away to the side to reveal a familiar girl with cinnamon brown hair.

**_"Ramona?_" **CJ couldn't believe his eyes. One of the friends he lost after the incident at Malevolence Manor was sitting in a room in the Ice King's castle. He just couldn't believe it. He rushed up and lifted her head. It felt limp his hand. He held her body up with his right hand on her back.

* * *

_Now I know the only compass that I need is the one that leads back to you. _  
_Now I know the only compass that I need, oh is the one that leads back to you..._

* * *

"Ice King, is she alive?" CJ asked the blue man.

"Yes, just out cold." he chuckled at his little joke.

"So, now you'll let Finn and Jake go, right?" CJ asked. He heard footsteps walking away from him and Ramona.

"Of course. I'll let them _go_." CJ heard a lever moving and the creaking of a winch. He spun around, with Ramona in his arms, to see Finn and Jake plummeting to the pit. CJ gasped and set down Ramona as gently as he could while rushing.

"NOOOO!" CJ bellowed, jumping from the balcony and drop-kicking Finn and Jake away from their deaths. CJ landed on the edge of the pit, almost falling in. He pushed himself away from the edge, going for the rope ladder. He grabbed on it just before it climbed away from his reach. It was moving away because Ice King was hurriedly pulling it back up to him. CJ jumped over the ledge and punched Ice King in the face as hard as he could. The blue man was sent rolling into the room with Ramona. He landed right next to her. Seizing the oppertunity, Ice King grabbed Ramona and put a knife to her neck.

"Just try it, CJ. One false move, and her blood will splatter these walls." Ice King threatened.

"You do it and you'll have a hole in your head!" CJ replied, pulling out the wrist cannon pistol that he was given from Ezio Auditore. He put his finger on the trigger, ready to fire.

"Okay, I have one more card to play." Ice King pulled a black-metalled gauntlet from his tunic and rolled it to CJ.

"Put it on or I'll kill her!" the blue man ordered. CJ didn't have a choice. He couldn't risk shooting Ice King or he would kill Ramona in the fall, most likely her falling on the knife or him cutting her neck as his hand slid away. He put it on his right fist. It glowed as it sealed around his arm.

"Now, you're in my command." Ice King let out a laugh of victory.

/

_Well, holy shit kabobs! Ramona's back! Pretty cool, huh? By the way, the song is called **Compass** by **Jamie Lidell**! So, yeah. I'll try and have the next chapter up soon._

_CJ Lightning 24, signing off_


	7. Chapter 7: Two Weeks Later

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Seven: Two Weeks Later

CJ stood with his arms on the railing of the balcony, looking out of the open window of Ice King's castle, looking out over Ooo. Two weeks had gone by since Ice King had shown him Ramona was still alive. She, of course, hadn't seen CJ, yet. She woke up a day after Finn and Jake were let go. CJ stooped his head.

"This sucks. A lot." he muttered to himself. The cool breeze ruffled his hair as he lifted his head again. And Ice King had given CJ direct orders that he was never to see her, or he would kill her...or torture her in some unimaginable way. CJ walked back inside. He had one more thing to do that day and he would have the rest of his time free. He had to make sure all of Ice King's snow monsters finished bulding the new princess cell. He strode down the ice corridors, passing dozens of torches. CJ checked his commandant gauntlet. It was his communicator to the Ice King. If he failed his objectives, it would tighten around his wrist and send shockwaves through him for thirty unbearable seconds. Once, Ice King had ordered CJ to box up a bracelet Ice King would give to Ramona. Once she put it on, it wouldn't allow her to leave the castle. If she tried, she would also get the Gauntlet Treatment, as CJ would call it. CJ refused, throwing it back at Ice King. The blue man waved a finger and the pain erupted in CJ's body. He fell to the floor, writhing in agony. Once CJ had gotten back up, his face was covered in sweat. He had never disobeyed another of Ice King's orders again. CJ walked through the set of wooden double doors that were the entrance to the cell block. The snow monsters were wedging ice bars into place as carefully as they could. CJ stood behind leaning against the wall, watching the monsters' progress.

"Keep up the good work." CJ said aloud. One of the monsters stumbled and dropped the ice bar it was carrying. The bar shattered, shards of ice littering the floor. CJ growled and walked up to the monster. The monster's coal eyes were shifting from left to right, the creature wondering what to do.

"You're impeding progress. You know what that means. Army ejection." CJ snarled, balling his gauntleted hand into a fist.

"No, wait, sir! I can do better! Just please give me another chance." the snow beast rumbled, begging for forgiveness.

"Too late." CJ smashed his gauntlet through the beast's stomach. The beast fell apart, snow splattering the floor. CJ shook scraps of snow from his gauntlet.

"Sometimes we all are." CJ walked back to the wall and leaned against it. He crossed his arms and growled.

"Well, what are you all staring at? Get back to work!" the snow beasts hurried to finish the job. Five minutes later, the sound of scraping ice stopped.

"We're done, sir!" a snow beast called. CJ walked up and inspected their work. The cell looked like all the others.

"Job well done. You are dismissed." CJ walked out of the room heading toward his quarters. He was almost to his door when he was intercepted by Ice King.

"What is it you want, my lord?" CJ asked bowing his head to the Ice King. He knew that whenever Ice King had a job for him to do, it was never a good thing.

"I have a special assignmet for you. Walk with me and I'll fill you in about it." Ice King motioned for CJ to follow. They walked through the corridors.

"What is the assignment, my lord?" CJ inquired.

"There is a village not too far from here next to the forest. I want you to use your gauntlet's powers to set fire to it. Start with the closest edge of town and go across, setting it ablaze in the progress." Ice King replied.

"This is what you wish of me, my lord?" CJ asked.

"It is. Now go." Ice King opened the front door of the ice castle. CJ ran out into the cool midday breeze. After a few minutes of dodging tree branches, CJ came out into a field which held the village. CJ snuck up to the closest part of the village, which was a small tool shed. CJ clenched his gauntet. A small blue ember came from his palm. CJ launched it at the shed. It caught fire, and after a fe moments, it was completley on fire. The fire spread on its own, crossing from one building to the next. CJ shot small embers from his gauntlet to the buildings from time to time. Soon, the screams started.

"Fire! Evacuate! Run!" shouts could be heard from a mile away. CJ leaned against a tree and watched the fireworks. CJ's common sense and heart started arguing with one another.

**So this is what it's like to be evil? Feels good... **

_Destroying innocent's homes? Killing? That feels good? You're sick!_

**Exactly. **

_Be true to yourself. How do you think Ramona would react?_

**Who cares about her? You can't even see her! **

CJ's heart gave in. _No, I guess you can't... _

CJ looked around at the destruction. The whole town was on fire. CJ looked to the side. Finn and Jake were running to the town's aid, clutching buckets of water.

"Well, lookie who we have here." CJ muttered as he got up. He bolted to the town and baseball-slid behind a general store. CJ looked around the corner. Finn and Jake were running his way.

"...you think Flame Princess did this?" Jake was asking Finn. Finn shook his head.

"No way, man. The flames spread too quickly! This couldn't have been her." Finn protested. CJ stuck out his arm and struck the boy in the chest. Finn back-flipped and landed on his chest. Jake spun around and growled.

"Who did that?" the magic dog snarled. Finn collected himself and stood back up, rubbing his chest. CJ walked out from behind the building with a smirk on his face.

"CJ? Dude, it's you!" Finn ran up to give CJ a high-five. CJ slapped his hand away.

"Dude, what's with you?" Jake asked. CJ lifted up his gauntlet.

"I'm no longer a friend of yours. We're enemies. Or, how about this? Let me jog your memory. Heard of a girl named Ramona?" CJ asked.

"Uh, yeah. We tried to rescue her from Ice King." Finn replied.

"How did you feel when you first saw her?" CJ asked again.

"She looked rather...pretty." Finn said. CJ balled his gauntlet into a fist.

"Oh, really. How much did you like her?" CJ prssed on.

"Uh, I dunno. Like I wanted to give her a hug, I guess?" Finn answered.

"Wrong answer!" CJ swung at Finn. Finn dodged and rolled backward to Jake.

"Dude, why are you trying to kill me?" Finn yelled at his "friend".

"I won't disobey the orders of the Ice King!" CJ swung once again. Finn didn't dodge this time because his jaw dropped. The gauntlet connected with Finn's temple, knocking him out. He fell into Jake's arms. Rain began to fall.

"Dude...it's on!" Jake growled, growing to the size of a giant.

"Let's dance." CJ pulled out the titanium bat. The two former friends stood facing each other, waiting for the other to strike.


	8. Chapter 8: A Fued Between Friends

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Eight: A Fued Between Friends

Jake set Finn down away from the fight. He looked back at CJ, pity and hatred filling his eyes. CJ swung the bat in circles, waiting for Jake to strike. Jake began with a stretch punch. CJ brought the gauntlet up and grabbed Jake's wrist. He pulled on the dog's arm and flung him into a wall. Jake jumped back up and brought his foot up into CJ's jaw. CJ stumbled back, rubbing the spot Jake had hit. Jake ran at CJ, intending to wrap him up with his arms and pummel him with his feet. CJ smashed the bat into Jake's stomach, forcing the dog to double over in pain. Jake knelt there on all fours, trying to get the breath back in his lungs. CJ raised the gauntlet and smashed it as hard as he could into Jake's back. The dog crumpled, moaning in pain. CJ was about to finish Jake off when he was hit in the back with the force of a speeding train. CJ spun around, looking for his attacker. Finn was standing there, blood leaking from the his temple where CJ had hit him with the gauntlet.

"Nobody hurts my bro. You're right, CJ. We're enemies, no longer friends." Finn spoke with all his hatred directed at CJ. Finn had his sword in hand. The rain kept pouring down. CJ felt regret about having to do this, but he had no choice. It was them or Ramona. CJ chose Ramona. The blond-haired boy lunged at CJ with the sword. CJ smacked the bronze blade away with the bat. Finn spun around and swiped the sword in a circle. CJ grabbed the blade with his gauntlet and pulled it from Finn's hands. Finn jumped at CJ and started punching. CJ's head cracked from side to side as Finn's punches connected. Finn then roundhouse kicked CJ away. CJ slid back on his heels and cracked his neck back into place. Finn collected his sword and threw it at CJ. CJ swiped it away with the gauntlet. Just then, Ice King issued a new order to CJ through the gauntlet.

_**Eliminate them!**_ a voice in CJ's head hissed. CJ didn't want to do it. They were still his friends deep down inside. Finn broke CJ's train of thought as he kicked his old friend in the forehead. CJ was sent backward from the force of the blow, so he somersaulted back onto his feet. CJ shook his head and readied the bat. Finn picked up the sword once more and charged at CJ. CJ parried the slash Finn threw at him and struck Finn across the face with the gauntlet. The boy fell on his back, rubbing his cheek. Finn sprang back up, only to be struck back down with the bat. CJ raised the bat above his head, preparing to finish the boy off. He couldn't do it. Finn and Jake were still his friends somehow. CJ dropped the bat and fell to his knees.

"I can't do it..." CJ muttered aloud. Jake had gotten up and he and Finn were staring at him, not sure what to do. CJ knew what would come next. The shockwaves blasted through CJ like a lightning bolt. He fell on his back, squirming like a worm in the mud. CJ's eyes filled with stars as the pain ended. Thirty seconds of it were always unbearable. Finn and Jake walked over to the poor fool in front of them, wondering what the heck just happened.

"Dude...what is with you?" Finn asked his old buddy, crouching next to him. CJ sat up and stooped his head.

"Ice King has me under his control. I have to do whatever he says because of this freaking glorified tenderizer stuck on my hand! He told me to set fire to the village...and then kill you guys. I can't do it. I won't." CJ explained.

"So why don't you take the darn thing off?" Jake asked. CJ shook his head.

"It's not that simple. The gauntlet was basically sealed to my arm after Ice King forced me to put it on." CJ said sadly.

"Well, there has to be some way for it to come off! Did Ice King leave any loopholes for you to use?" Finn asked.

"None that I could spot easily. I tried day and night to get this thing off. Nothing works." CJ looked dead straight at the gauntlet and smashed it against the ground. CJ stood up and walked over to one of the burned down buildings, leaning against it and crossing his arms.

"Well, have you tried cutting your arm off?" Jake joked. CJ glared at him.

"Fuck. That!" CJ snarled. Jake waved his hands in defense.

"Whoa, easy, man, easy. I was just kiddin' around. Well, have you tried saying a secret word to it." Jake said.

"A secret word? Hmm. I guess I could try something I read in old fairytales." CJ lifted up the gauntlet to his face.

"O, gauntlet, I ask of thee. Please show me what I desire to see." CJ chanted. Words started glowing on the back of the gauntlet.

**Oh, foolish wearer of the cudgel, there is but one way to remove thy's curse. Sacrifice is required of blood, sweat, and tears. Bring these ingredients to yourself and ground them into the cudgel's fist. Thy's curse will vanish like the lightning in a storm.** it read.

"A sacrifice of blood, sweat, and tears, eh? I think I know where this is going." CJ grinned as he read the words. It was time to go to war with Ice King.


	9. Chapter 9: Ain't That A Kick In The Head

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Nine: Ain't That A Kick In The Head

CJ said goodbye to Finn and Jake. They left to go back to the tree fort for their part of CJ's plan. The plan was that CJ would climb up the back of the ice castle to Ramona's cell. There was a window he could use to get in. Meanwhile, Finn and Jake would storm the front of the castle, distracting the snow monsters and Ice King. CJ would rescue Ramona, send Finn and Jake a signal to retreat by shooting a makeshift flare in the air over the castle, and they would all leave. CJ thought his plan was foolproof.

* * *

CJ stood on the ice ledge on the back of the ice castle, waiting for the sound of battle to ring out. He would use two hatchets as tools to pull himself up and two daggers strapped onto his feet would hold him in place. He would use the daggers and hatchets to climb up to Ramona. He twirled the hand-functioned firework in his hand. It would be the flare for Finn and Jake's retreat. Then, there were shouts and yells that came from the ice castle. CJ knew that it was his cue to start his climb up the castle. He wedged the hatchets into the ice and pulled up. He dug the daggers into the ice below him to hold his place. He climbed up to the next ledge and looked up. He was right below Ramona. He jumped up onto the window and peeked in. Ramona was sitting on a cot and braiding her hair. CJ knocked on the wall. Ramona looked up.

"Hey there." CJ sat with his legs crossed.

"Uh, who the heck are you?" CJ's old friend asked.

"Aw, come on, Ramona! You can't tell me you don't recognize me." CJ said, smirking. Ramona frowned. Then her face lit up with joy.

"CJ...is that really you?" she stood up and walked over to him. CJ nodded.

"Who else could it be?" he asked, smiling. He jumped down from the window, landing inches from Ramona. She hugged him. He hugged back and for moments he felt at peace. It was interrupted when fighting roared through the castle. CJ put a hand on Ramona's shoulder.

"Feel like doing some climbing?" CJ asked, grinning. She nodded. CJ helped her up onto the window and CJ went next. He hooked onto the wall and let Ramona hold onto his back.

"Hold on tight." CJ said, climbing upward. After climbing to the top, CJ ran to the edge of the roof of the castle and pulled out the flare. Before popping off the trigger, he looked down and saw Finn and Jake fighting like champs. They were destroying all the snow monsters. CJ grinned and was about to pop off the cap when Ramona let out a yelp. CJ spun around and saw Ice King holding Ramona's arms behind her back. She was struggling to get away from him. Ice King smiled darkly at CJ.

"Oh, really, CJ? You thought you could waltz up into my domain and take Ramona away? Fat chance, buddy boy!" Ice King sneered.

"Let her go and fight like a man, Ice King!" CJ yelled at the blue man. They circled each other until Ice King was facing the front of his castle. He looked behind him and watched the fighting below.

"Oh, sure. I'll let the girl go. Bye bye!" Ice King shoved Ramona away toward the edge. She slipped on the ice and snow.

"Ramona!" CJ shouted and tried to save his friend.

He was too late...

She fell off the edge and dropped toward the fighting below. CJ gaped in horror and dropped to his knees. Ice King let out a giddy laugh. The fighting stopped abruptly below as they all saw Ramona's mangled body lying in the snow on the valley floor. Finn and Jake started running to get up to CJ and Ice King.

"Oh, poor, poor CJ. You must feel really bad about letting the poor girl fall. I guess it's your turn now." Ice King said in fake sadness. CJ stood up and started walking toward the edge of the roof. He looked down at Ramona...and actually thought about jumping.

He stood there and took a deep breath.

Ramona...

_**Why?**_


	10. Chapter 10: Seeing Double

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Ten: Seeing Double

"Well, what are you waiting for, CJ? Jump!" said the Ice King. CJ just stared at Ramona's body. Ice King grew impatient and attempted to shove CJ off. CJ grabbed his arm and punched Ice King in the face as hard as he could. Ice King fell over, blood leaking from his nose. CJ started stomping a mudhole in the blue man. Ice King futilely shielded himself from CJ's blows, but to no avail. Ice King started feeling bones breaking, so he shot a super-charged lightning bolt at CJ. It caught CJ in the face and sent him flipping off the roof of the ice castle. CJ felt the world around him disappear.

_Now, I have nothing. Not even my own life._ CJ thought as his vision was filled with a bright white light. He saw nothing but a white void as his brain clouded up.

* * *

CJ woke up to the sound of gulls squawking and the familiar face of Finn. It looked like Finn, but his vision was fuzzy so he didn't know whether or not it was actually him.

"Dude, are you okay?" the person asked.

"Finn?" CJ wondered aloud.

"Who the heck is Finn?" the person wondered. CJ's vision cleared up and he was looking into the face of a human girl who had shoulder length blond hair and a white bunny hat the covered all her head except a strand sticking out of the side.

"Whoa! You're...a human!" the girl got really excited and started jumping up and down.

"Yeah, I am. So calm down. I'm no one special..." CJ muttered, sitting up from laying down on the ground.

"Are you kidding? I've been looking my whole life for another human." the girl protested.

"Whatever. Hey, what's your name, anyway?" CJ asked the blond girl.

"Oh, I'm Fionna! Nice to meet you." the girl said. CJ stood up.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm CJ." he said. A cat that had white and coffee colored fur walked up to Fionna.

"Hey, baby. Who you talkin to? Whoa, a human?" the cat asked, looking at CJ.

"Cake, this is CJ. Cake, CJ. CJ, Cake." Fionna introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you, Cake." CJ said, tipping his fedora in her direction.

"You, too." Cake said back. CJ looked around. The three were standing on a beach in Glob knows where. CJ looked out to the ocean, wondering if Ice King's lightning bolt had the same effect as Bentley's teleporter. It must have, because CJ was in a place he'd never been in.

"What is the name of this place?" CJ asked Fionna.

"This is the land of Aaa." Fionna answered. CJ looked around again and nodded.

"I could probably live here. Well, time to get to work." CJ said, with the soul intention of making a home for himself.

"What are you doing?" Fionna asked.

"I'm gonna go find a place to live. Well, happy trails, you two." CJ walked through the beach and went up to the edge of a forest. Fionna and Cake waved back to him when he turned and waved to them. He wandered through the forest, searching for hours until he came upon a cave in a grass valley. CJ walked in and looked around. It was dark in the place.

"Man, I shoulda brought a freakin' flashlight." CJ said, wandering around blind as a bat. Then, he came to a small cottage that had white walls on the outside and black shingles. It was visible by a hole in the ceiling that had sunlight leaking through. CJ walked up to the door and knocked on it. No one answered. CJ shrugged and started walking away.

"Dude, what are you doing in my cave?" a voice above CJ asked. CJ was caught by surprise and jumped...a little too hard. He knocked heads with someone above him. CJ fell to the ground, rubbing his forehead.

"Hey, what's the big idea, man?" CJ said to the person.

"I dunno, dude. You tell me." the person retorted. CJ looked up and noticed two things. The person was floating and had fangs. With a closer look, CJ saw that the person was a guy with black, messy hair and red eyes. He was wearing a gray shirt with a black and red plaid jacket over it. He also wore gray skinny jeans and gray shoes with black laces.

"You're a vampire, huh? Cool." CJ commented, getting up and dusting himself off.

"How the heck did you know?" the vampire wondered.

"I have a friend who's a vampire, too. She looks kinda like you." CJ explained. The vampire floated into a sitting position in the air with his legs crossed.

"Oh, really? Who's this vampire friend of yours that looks like me?" the vampire asked, floating into a position that looked like he was lying on his belly with his legs in the air.

"Her name's Marceline the Vampire Queen." CJ answered.

"Okay, then. Well, now we've talked a little, I'll introduce myself. I'm Marshall Lee the Vampire King." the vampire said.

"Kinda suspected that you were the King. Anyway, I'm CJ. Nice to meet you." CJ said, holding out his hand. Marshall took his hand...and threw CJ into the rock wall.

"Scared of me, aren't ya?" Marshall Lee scoffed. CJ flipped right side up and shook his head.

"Eesh, not really. If I can get a vampire to be my friend, I don't think I should be scared of their double." CJ cracked his neck and knuckles, knowing that a fight was about to start.

"Oh, yeah, punk? Well...**you should be**!" Marshall said, growing into a giant bat with humongous teeth and claws. CJ pulled out his titanium baseball bat and readied it. Marshall swiped at CJ with his left claws. CJ leaped over them and hit Marshall in the wrist with his bat. Marshall yelped and grabbed CJ. CJ retorted by smacking the bat into Marshall face. Marshall dropped CJ and covered his nose. CJ went up to Marshall's legs and swung away. Marshall stomped on CJ like a bug. CJ coughed up air out of his lungs and gasped for more air. Marshall picked CJ up again and tossed him into a stalagmite. It broke in half as was CJ struck against it. CJ stood up and cracked his spine back into place.

"That's gonna hurt in the morning." he picked his bat up and dusted it off. Marshall laughed.

"**You're pretty good for a stupid human**." Marshall chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not the one who turns into a giant smelly piece of crap who can't see straight in the daylight." CJ retorted. Marshall growled and lunged at CJ with claws outstretched. CJ got into a batter's position.

"BATTER UP!" CJ bellowed, striking Marshall in the forehead. Marshall responded by swatting CJ with his arm. CJ flew into a waterfall in the corner of the cave. Marshall scratched his head after CJ didn't come back up after thirty-two seconds. He changed back to his original shape, walked over, and looked into the pool at the base of the waterfall. CJ sprang up out of the water, bat reared back.

"Peekaboo!" CJ shouted, striking Marshall in the chest. Marshall fell on his back, rolled onto the top of his head, and then face-planted.

"Gah! How the heck did you catch a vampire off guard?" Marshall groaned as he stood and rubbed his head.

"Skill, my red-eyed friend." CJ said, swinging his bat in a circle to its holster. Marshall kicked a rock in frustration.

"Lucky sonuvab-" Marshall muttered.

"OI! We got off to a bad start. Let's start over. Friends?" CJ held out his hand as a friendly gesture. Marshall took it and this time shook it instead of throwing CJ.

"Yeah, friends. But one of these days, we're having a rematch, got it?" Marshall said. CJ nodded.

"Definitely." he said.

"Well, goodbye." CJ left Marshall and walked outside into the evening air. The sun was sinking below the horizon.

_What a nice group of people._ CJ thought as he walked off into the sunset.

_/_

_How about Marshall Lee's and CJ's start, eh? Kind of a Goku and Vegeta start, huh? And this time, we have Ooo's doubles. So how about that? I just had to put in the land of Aaa in the story. Pretty cool, huh? Well, happy trails, everybody. Read, review, and enjoy! Peace out homies._

_CJ Lightning 24, out._


	11. Chapter 11: Cold, Cold Heart

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Eleven: Cold, Cold Heart

Note: Fixed the chapter display mistake. You're welcome.

* * *

CJ walked through the valley, looking for some kind of place he could make his home. He would need a home for shelter, to formulate a plan to get back to the land of Ooo in peace, and just so he wouldn't have to sleep in dirt. CJ saw a tree that had a door-sized hole in it. He walked up to it and looked inside. There was nothing in it. It was hollowed out. After looking for a few more seconds, CJ decided there wasn't enough space. He looked elsewhere. Then, there was a part of the valley covered in snow that came in to CJ's vision. The human walked over to it. Strange...it looked exceptionally familiar. CJ saw a giant ice castle. Then, a thought popped into CJ's head.

"Maybe...if Fionna and Cake are the opposite of Finn and Jake, well, they look like it anyway, and Marshall is the opposite of Marceline, then this place must be Ooo's genderbent version. So, if there's an Ice King in Ooo, then there must be an Ice Queen here in Aaa. And if there's Princess Bubblegum in Ooo, there must be a male version of her here in Aaa. I've got some exploring to do if I'm gonna confirm my thoughts!" CJ said, running to the castle.

* * *

Ice Queen paced around her room in the ice castle. She was wondering what she would do about her prince problem. She picked up her pet penguin, Gertrude.

"Oh, Gertrude, will I ever get any of Aaa's princes to marry me?" she asked the bird, full of frustration.

"Wank." Gertrude replied.

"You are absolutely right, Gertrude. Those princes don't know what they're missing out on." Ice Queen set Gertrude down and walked over to the window. Then she spotted...a human running toward here castle. It certainly wasn't Fionna. It was a boy in a black hoodie, baggy blue jeans, and white shoes. He had dirty blond hair that went to the tips of his shoulders and he had dark brown eyes. He also had a slender build. He had some sort of metal brace on his right wrist, a black metal gauntlet on his left, and a silver metal bat and black with red trim backpack on his back. Ice Queen's heart fluttered.

"Gertrude, I think I've found who I want as a husband." she said, grinning devilishly.

* * *

CJ ran up the hill in the snow valley. He was trying to get up to the castle and see if there really was an Ice Queen. His thoughts were broken as snow fell in heaps down the mountain. CJ face-palmed. The universe just couldn't give him a break, now could it?

"Sweet beans in a basket! AVALANCHE INCOMING!" CJ shouted out loud. He ran for a snow coverd tree in the valley. He jumped on it and climbed. He had been practicing, trying to get Sly's ninja spire jump down, and now was the best time to try it out. He jumped, spun in the air, and grasped the tip of the tree with his heels. And...he stayed in place!

_Now for the tricky part. Here we go!_ CJ thought as the avalanche got closer. It smashed against his tree, nearly knocking him off. Snow was building up to the top of the tree where CJ was. It stopped right at the tips of his shoes. CJ wiped the sweat from his brow and stood on the snow. He didn't sink in. Then, he looked back up to the ice castle. That avalanche coudn't have fallen by itself. CJ started running toward the castle again.

* * *

Ice Queen growled in frustration. Her avalanche plan didn't work. She thought if the human got buried, she would dig him out of the snow, thaw him out, and he would love her for her kindness. Now she had to think of a new plan and fast.

"Well, if burying you didn't work, I'll just have to capture you, then. Gertrude, it's time to make some ice monsters." Ice Queen used her ice powers to make four hundred ice beasts.

"Go! Capture the human and bring him here!" Ice Queen yelled at her new soldiers. They marched out the front of the castle and set up an ambush point to get the human.

* * *

CJ trudged up the mountain further. The castle was only half a mile away now, so there wasn't too much farther to go. He felt his gauntlet tighten for some reason, but it didn't shock him. Then words started glowing on the back of the cudgel.

They read: **O wearer of the gauntlet, the sacrifice has been completed. The gauntlet is now in your possession. ****The original curse is no longer in place.** **According to your alignment, the gauntlet will stay black if you are evil enough. It will turn a shining silver if you are pure of heart. Good luck in your life as well. Farewell... **and then the words vanished. CJ growled in anger.

"Yeah, well your sacrifice sucked!" CJ shouted at the gauntlet. Despite his words, the gauntlet turned silver according to the words on the gauntlet. He continued walking again. The gauntlet quivered when he passed a treeline. Right after, a few hundred ice beasts sprang out of nowhere.

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" CJ groaned as ten ice beasts ran at him. He smashed them all down in rapid succession with his bat. He circled around, daring any others to have a go at him. He nearly shit himself when all of them ran at him at the same time. The gauntlet quivered again and he felt ice smash against his back.

/

_Ice Queen never stops, does she? Well, CJ's in the doghouse now. Or is he? I mean, Ice Queen isn't that hard to beat. Well, anyways, next chapter is the return of Fionna and Cake._


	12. Chapter 12: Knight In Shining Armor

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Twelve: Knight In Shining Armor

CJ woke, staring around at a large room. He thought, given the circumstances, he would be sitting in a cell. He was focused on any snow monsters that might be trying to get the drop on him, so he reached for his bat. To his surprise, it wasn't there.

"Oh, what the hell?" CJ asked himself, scratching the back of his head.

"Looking for this, sweetie?" a female voice asked with a charming voice. CJ slapped his hand over his face and pulled it off.

"Don't even tell me right now-" CJ started turning around, stopping himself when he saw a blue-skinned woman with long white hair and eyebrows of the same color that were shaped like lightning bolts.

"Yes, indeed. 'Tis I, the royal frost monarch known as the Ice Queen." Ice Queen said, introducing herself.

"Well, you're original, I gotta give you that, lady." CJ said, crossing his arms.

"Don't speak to your future wife like that, or you may never get this back." Ice Queen waved a taunting finger, holding out his bat with her other hand.

_What is it with these jokers and them wanting me to be part of their big happy family? Sheesh!_ CJ thought, grunting. Ice Queen continued rambling.

"Well, since we are to be wed the very next morning, you may as well tell me your name, you handsome young man." she said, an evil grin on her face.

"Bitch, drink bleach. I wouldn't marry you if you were the last damn female on this Earth." CJ said, protruding a vulgar finger on his right hand. Ice Queen came unglued.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" she shrieked, causing CJ to cover his ears. She had the gall to use CJ's own weapon. She lunged down at him from the top of a flight of stairs, swinging like a bat out of hell. CJ dodged the blows easily, sidestepping them like slow-moving clouds. Then she slashed down at CJ's head. He caught it with the silver gauntlet. The he waved a finger at her, to say "Oh, no you don't, lady!". Then he yanked the bat out of her hand, where it rightfuly belonged to be.

"Give up. You can't beat me, Ice Queen." CJ said, holstering his bat back into its holster. Ice Queen put her hands on her hips.

"Well, then. Finally, you manage to call me by my name, you idiot. Now that little tussle is over... GUARDS!" Ice Queen bellowed, drawing snow monsters from every nook and cranny. CJ blasted them with the embers from his gauntlet, only using his bat when the snow monsters got too close. He smashed number thirty-eight, making ten left in the mix. CJ started for them, but was interrupted by a break-in from the wall. CJ's jaw dropped in dismay as he saw Fionna and Cake run in, tearing the leftover snow monsters apart, snowflake by snowflake. Ice Queen growled in frustration, making an ice slide and riding away. CJ scratched his eyes and walked over to the duo.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" CJ asked, furious.

"Jeez, CJ. The least you could say was thank you! We heard that avalanche all the way back in the grasslands, so we came to help you." Fionna said, confused by CJ's rage.

"**Neve**r interfere in one of my battles ever again, or else you'll add a new opponent to the field for me! Unless I ask for it, keep your asses out of my fights." CJ yelled.

"Man, what if you're in trouble and can't call for help?" Cake asked.

"Then let me die a noble death, on my feet, by myself. Until you've seen all I've seen, done all I've done, you don't have the right to fight by my side. I will let you know when you earn my respect, kid. I swear, and may the gods help me, I will add you to the targets on the battlefield if you ever attempt what you did today again! Understand, you two?!" CJ demanded. Fionna and Cake nodded solemnly.

"We promise we won't interfere in one of your fights unless you call for it, CJ. You have our word, dude." Fionna said, her eyes still closed. CJ reholstered his bat and climbed out of the hole in the side of the ice. It was late evening, the sun setting a golden orange over the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, but CJ didn't care at the moment. He turned back to Fionna and Cake. They were looking at him, waving. He nodded, turned back around, and walked for the Candy Kingdom.


	13. Chapter 13: Meeting With The Prince

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Thirteen: Meeting With The Prince

CJ walked through the fields of grass leading toward the Candy Kingdom of Aaa. He pondered over what had happened back at Ice Queen's castle. Was he too hard on the human and the talking cat? Should he have congratulated them, not scolded them? Although CJ had his doubts, he answered himself in an unfeeling way.

"Those two may be great fighters, but I can fight my own battles. They're foolish and inconsiderate." CJ said to himself. He started coming upon a series of pink trees. He knew what they were. Cotton candy trees. He didn't bother grabbing a handful of them. He wasn't in the mood. The walls of the Candy Kingdom stood high and mighty, gaurds patrolling at the bottom. The banana gaurds hailed him.

"You may enter, citizen." one of them said. CJ walked past without a single word. The Candy Kingom here looked just like it had back in Ooo. No drastic changes, just in gender. He walked to the front of the castle. He was stopped by more banana gaurds.

"Sorry, citizen. You can't go into the castle without an invitation from the prince. Turn back." they told him. CJ grunted and grabbed the arm of the speaking banana gaurd's arm. He tossed it over his head without a second glance. The other charged at him with a spear outstetched. CJ swung out his bat and took the gaurd's head off. The other guard had gotten up from the ground and made the same foolish mistake. CJ spun like a tornado, breaking the gaurd in half. He wiped banana gore off his bat and continued walking into the castle. The prince he was coming to see was jogging toward the entrance to see what the commotion was.

"You." CJ said, pointing at the prince.

"Excuse me, sir. Who are you?" the bubblegum prince asked.

"The name is CJ. I need something from you, your highness." CJ answered.

"What do you need?" the prince asked once again.

"A way to get back to Ooo." CJ answered again.

"Well, if you need a way back to the land of Ooo, CJ, then Prince Gumball's your man. I've been working on a teleporting serum that will send anyone to a destination of their choosing." Prince Gumball said.

"Alright. You better start working on it, then." CJ said. Prince Gumball frowned.

"Why do you need to get back to Ooo?" he asked.

"None of your business. It's a personal matter. That said, do you have some quarters you could set me up with? I'm new here." CJ said.

"Of course. I actually have a room right behind you. It's a small bedroom we use for guests to the castle. Now, I must be off to my lab. The serum will be finished soon." Prince Gumball said, rushing off toward another room. CJ went into the room behind him. He looked out of a window, seeing the sun setting on the day. CJ went to sleep, waiting for Gumball to finish the serum.


	14. Chapter 14: The Choice

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Fourteen: The Choice

CJ woke up the next morning with an itch on his skin. He scratched at it and felt something soft. And fuzzy. Weak morning light seeped through the window, and he sat up. His eyes widened. Black fur. He was covered in black fur. He jumped off the bed and went to a mirror. He had turned back into a werewolf while he was sleeping. He groaned and leaned against the wall, putting a hand over his eyes, which had turned a bright yellow. He pulled his paw down his face.

"I'm grateful for the old werewolf forgiving me and everything, but come on!" the wolf grumbled. He walked back to the bed and pulled on his hoodie and fedora. He walked out into the hall and went for Prince Gumball's lab. When CJ entered the room, he saw the pink prince was working on the serum.

"Good morning, CJ. How are you today?" Gumball said, not turning around.

"A little fuzzy, but it's nothing I can't handle." CJ joked. Gumball turned around and gasped.

"CJ, my word! What happened?" the prince asked, startled.

"Long story, no time." the wolf muttered, jumping up and sitting on one of the counters that was in the room.

"Very well." Gumball said, turning back to work on the serum. CJ scratched his fur. The recent return of his werewolf side troubled him deeply. He thought he'd gotten rid of it the night he went into the old Transylvanian forest and killed the werewolf who had given him the curse.

"The formula for the serum that will make you gateway Ooo." Prince Gumball said, adding the final solution he serum. CJ hopped off the counter and walked up to the lab table.

"Is it ready?" CJ asked. He was eager to get back to Ooo and make sure Ramona was given a proper burial.

"Indeed it is. Let's go field test it." Gumball said eagerly.

"Alright. Hand it over." CJ reached for the serum. Gumball pulled away.

"CJ, I'm sorry, but I will be the one to carry the serum until we get to the fields outside of the kingdom." Gumball explained quickly when CJ reached for his baseball bat.

"Fine, but you're on a short leash." CJ snarled. They exited the castle and went to a hill in the fields.

"Okay. Here you are, CJ. I shall return to the Candy Kingdom." Gumball said, handing CJ the serum. The vial felt cool in his paw. Gumball raced back to the kingdom. CJ watched until he disappeared past the stared

"I'm comin' home, Ramona..." CJ whispered to himself. Before he had a chance to unstopper and drink the serum, his silver gauntlet tightened. He looked up. A tan-hooded figure was flying through the sky toward the Candy Kingdom of Aaa.

**The Lich!**

Another citation started glowing on the back of the gauntlet: **The time has come for you to make a choice, wanderer. The Reaper hails thee for kindness. He claims those who turn a blind eye toward evil. Now CHOOSE!**

CJ stared at the gauntlet. He knew what it meant. He had to make a choice, here and new.

"Looks like I've got to save the Candy Kingdom again." CJ's words transformed his weapon into The Reaper's dark hand. It became a grim-looking scythe whose descriptionmade it look like it came from an old ghost story. A six-foot steel pole linked to a crescent titanium blade.

CJ charged to the Candy Kingdom, his new weapon held high.


	15. Chapter 15: Put One And One Together

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Fourteen: Put One And One Together

Green flames raged across the Candy Kingdom. The Lich had returned, causing all the mayhem and destruction. CJ stared around. In the short time it had taken him to get to the kingdom, The Lich had done a lot of damage. Collapsed buildings, bent and broken lamp posts, and random fires littered CJ's field of vision wherever he looked.

"Damn, he did a number on this place." CJ muttered, planting the end of his scythe in the ground. A giant shadow loomed overhead behind CJ.

**"We meet again, mortal."** the same gutteral, growling voice spoke.

"Long time, no see, eh, Lick?" CJ asked, turning around to see the horned, hooded, skeleton-like, green-eyed demon that still occasionally haunted his mind.

**"Exactly."** The Lich replied.

"Shall we?" CJ raised his scythe.

"Your soul is mine!" The Lich cried, drawing first blood. He tossed a green fireball at CJ. The wolf didn't move. He knocked the fireball away with the blade of his scythe with ease. The Lich swooped down, trying to get in close for his mind control spell. CJ backflipped, putting his boot to The Lich's mid-section. It tilt-a-whirled out of its flight path and crashed into an unscathed section of the kingdom's wall. The Lich's eyes seethed with fury as it returned to its feet. CJ made the next move, running forward, scythe drawn back.

"Die, Lich!" CJ cried, slashing downward in an arc. The Lich dodged out of the way and slammed a bony fist into the wolf's back. It picked him up by the arm, spun both of them around, and slammed CJ head-first into the wall. The wolf shook the cobwebs out of his head. He swiped his scythe at The Lich before it could finish drawing its arm back for another blow. When the scythe connected, a small cut opened up, and a black shadowy substance flowed out. The Lich punched CJ in the side of the muzzle, knocking him flat to the ground.

"Prepare to die!" The Lich snarled, preparing to make an end of CJ. It was disrupted as a giant claw smacked it. The claw led to a furry arm, and the arm led to a giant bat's body.

"Damn it. It's Marshall." CJ muttered, slowly clamering back to his feet. The vampire and The Lichtraded blows left and right, similar to a boxing match. The Lich fired up one of its hands and tried to fry the left side of the Vampire King's chest. Marshall dodged and kicked The Lich in the side of the head, sending it spinning. CJ took the oppertunty to strike. The wolf jumped up to The Lich's head, gouging the scythe's blade into its neck. He ran around The Lich's head, slicing it off. After the incision was made, the momentum CJ had gained propelled him forward. The scythe came inches from taking a piece of Marshall's ear. The vampire changed back to his humanoid form and walked up to CJ, who had dropped to the ground seconds before.

"Hey, man. What was the deal after you took The Lich's head off? It kinda looked like you were trying to cut **my** head off!" Marshall exclaimed, floating into the air.

"Well, there is a reason for that, Marshall." CJ replied, sheathing his scythe into its holster on his back.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me you were **trying** to kill me?!" Marshall asked, shocked.

"In a way, yes. I'll tell it to you like I told Fionna and Cake: Stay. Out. Of. My. Battles!" CJ growled through gritted teeth.

"I do what I want to do." Marshall spat, crossing his arms.

"Okay, you know what? I'm invoking that rematch you wanted. Right. NOW." CJ stated.

"You sure, CJ? You just killed The Lich! Another fight would be the death of you." Marshall protested, floating to the left.

"Well, ig you're too afraid..." CJ trailed off.

"I'm afraid of nothing! Fine, the rematch is a go, dude. This time, there won't be any water for you to dive into." the vampire cracked his knuckles. CJ chuckled.

"No worries."


	16. Chapter 16: Coming Home

CJ's Past: New Friends And Foes

Chapter Sixteen: Coming Home

CJ and Marshall circled each other.

"I won't need any fool's tricks this time around." CJ said, drawing th scythe.

"Well, you got lucky last time. Vampires are unbeatable." Marshall boasted arrogantly.

"Apparently not." CJ shot back with a smug grin. Marshall lost his mile and attacked, fist drawn back. It smashed into CJ's head. The wolf slid back on his heels and cracked his neck back into place. Marshall stared, disbelieving.

"You're one tough son of a gun, I'll give you that." the vampire chuckled. CJ grinned back for half of a second, then rushed forward. The wolf lashed out with punches and kicks. Marshall ducked through the air, twisting and turning to get out of range of CJ's strikes. He finally got a shot on Marshall when he jumped, spun in the air, and connected the heel of his boot to Marshall's sternum. The vampire dropped to the ground, rolling backward.

"Unbeatable, my ass." CJ scoffed, stretching another kink out of his spine.

"You're goin' down!" Marshall spat, transforming once again into a giant bat. The vampire charged at CJ, a giant claw reaching at him. CJ sug the scythe and knicked Marshall's hand, making it thrust back. The wolf stared mockingly at the giant bat.

"Is that the best you can do, M?" CJ taunted. Marshall dashed again. He kicked CJ up like a hacky sack and grabbed him in mid air. He squeezed his fist. CJ felt like he was in between the walls of a car crusher. He could feel small trickles of blood starting to come out of his throat. He brought up his scythe and made a horizontal slash. The blade cut open Marshall's knuckles. He dropped CJ and covered the bloody knuckles. CJ held no mercy. He ran forward, turned the blade, and stabbed Marshall in the ankle. The vampire morphed back to humanoid form. He saw that he was on the verge of defeat. He limped backward into a building. CJ advanced, scythe drawn back like a guillotine. He swung the scythe, aiming for Marshall's head. Marshall ducked, inches from getting scalped. The scythe blade was stuck in the side of the building. The wolf couldn't pull it out. Marshall took the distraction to strike. He kicked off into the air on his good foot and pummeled CJ. The wolf forgot about the scythe and retaliated to the blows, punching quick haymakers back. He got a good swing in that made Marshall spin away. He returned his focus back to the scythe and grabbed it, putting his foot on the wall. Marshall regained control of his flight and shot at CJ. He was too late. There was already a thin hole where the scythe blade had previously been. CJ whacked Marshall in the head with the staff of his scythe, knocking the down to another wall and the ground. CJ tilted his head to the side and back.

"Game over." the wolf said, raising the scythe above his head.

"CJ, don't do it!" two female voices yelled. CJ turned his slightly. Fionna and Cake were running through the gates. The cavalry had arrived. The wolf put the scythe a little higher above himself. Marshall turned his head and closed his eyes. Fionna and Cake yelling for CJ to stop.

CJ brought the scythe down...and buried it in the wall, centimeters from Marshall's head. The vampire eyes shot open. Then, CJ grabbed Marshall around the chin, bringing his face close to the vampire's.

"Now let me send ya off with a little warning. I don't want to kill you, Marshall. I never did. And I don't think you want to kill me. If you ever let me get you in this situation again, I won't be kind. I will have no mercy on your soul, if you have one. Now get off your ass and go home, kid. It's over." the wolf said sternly. He backed off and retrieved his scythe. Marshall returned to his feet.

"You talk pretty big for someone who was once human."

"Hypocrite...well, I'm not human anymore, now am I?"

"I guess not."

"Hmm. It's just like the fairytales before The Great Mushroom War. Werewolves, or as they used to be called, lycans, and vampires are polar opposites. They always fought. They waged war with every chance they got. It's the same deal with you and I."

"Well, crap. Hey, Fionna. Cake." Marshall turned his attention to the blonde girl and her cat.

"Man, CJ gave you a beatdown, Marshall. Hey, CJ? You okay, dude?" Fionna said. CJ had turned around and put his hood up.

"Dude's got a surprise for ya. Careful, Cake. His bite's worse than his bark!" Marshall scoffed. CJ sighed and turned around. Fionna and Cake waited with anticipation. He pulled the hood down. Cake hopped onto Fionna's shoulders and hissed.

"Oh my Glob, CJ! You're a...you're a..." the girl stuttered, speechless. CJ gave a weak smile.

"A werewolf, I know. Settle in, campers. Ol' CJ's got a yarn to spin." CJ said, sitting on a pile of candy rubble. Marshall, Fionna, and Cake did the same. He told his story about the night in Transylvania, the werewolf, and the sacrifice of a mental and emotional scar. By the time he stopped talking, the sun had cast a hazy glow over the horizon.

"Sounds like you had quite a time up there." Marshall commented.

"Who were Sly, Bentley, and Murray?" Fionna asked.

"Anthropomorphic friends of mine. Humanoid animals, if you don't know. They were kinda like Cake over there, just not shapeshifters." CJ replied, getting off of his makeshift seat. He was ready to go home. He pulled out the serum vial from his hoodie pocket.

"Going home, CJ?" Marshall asked.

"How do you know?" CJ asked the vampire.

"Gumball told me while you were snoozin'." Marshall answered.

"Ah." CJ said, unstoppering the vial.

"What's that funky-lookin' stuff gonna do?" Cake asked.

"You're about to find out." CJ said, downing the substance in one gulp. It tasted like paint thinner. A feeling like his body being torn apart flared inside CJ. A thin, wispy cloud engulfed him and he shot into a blinding light.


	17. Chapter 17: Topside

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Seventeen: Topside

CJ shot headfirst into through blistering cold air, skidding to a stop next to an ice wall. CJ lumbered to his feet and inspected the wall. Upon further examination, it turned out to be part of the foundation for Ice King's mountain fortress. CJ took his fedora off, ran a hand through his mane, and walked to the front. Snowbeasts by the damned hundreds littered the evil, blue wizard's front lawn.

"Huh. Looks like Finn and Jake whipped ass without my help. As soon as I get through with this business, Ice King, you and I are going to have a good, old fashioned melee. See you then, chump." CJ whispered to himself, staring up at the window resting on the peak of the mountain. He charged off to the grasslands, with nothing other than his way home on mind.

_You are home, poor fool... _

* * *

CJ pelted to a stop just yards away from Finn and Jake. They had been chopping firewood, and dropped the logs after they spotted him. CJ couldn't help but grin.

"CJ! Holy schmow, it's you!" Finn and Jake ran up, giving him high-fives and fist-pounds.

"Yeah, man. Where were you? Man, like, you flew off the top of the mountain, and the next thing anybody knows is _FWOOSH!_ and you're gone! What happened?" Jake exclaimed breathlessly.

"It's a pretty long story. Well, anyways somehow Ice King pulled off a major case of deja vu with me, and all of a sudden I'm in a genderbent version of Ooo. It was freakin' amazing, to say the least. Then I went through _all_ of this stuff, knock some heads, take on the Lich, have a showdown, then I drank some crazy-looking serum and I teleported to the last place anyone saw me, and I should think you guys know where I was and so forth." CJ explained.

"Yeah. So, what was Aaa like?" Finn asked.

"Looked like the same bunch o' knuckleheads I knew before I went there." CJ joked.

"I'm not a globbin' knucklehead!" Jake protested. Finn gave CJ a questioning look.

"Dude, what's up with your skin? It's all...patchy-looking." the boy asked.

"You guys aren't gonna believe this." CJ pulled his hood and fedora off. Their jaws dropped.

"Whoa...neat!" Jake said.

"Oh, by the way, news from PB. She's got this new contraption that can clear up the tunnel for ya. We're gonna be heading over there tomorrow." Finn said.

"Awesomeness. Yeah, well, I'm gonna hit the sack. Dead tired an' stuff." CJ went into the tree fort for the night.

"Yeesh, you'd think he'd be happy about being able to go home." Jake said.

"Yeah, you're right. There has to be something wrong with him." Finn replied.

* * *

The next morning at the tunnel...

CJ, Finn, and Jake sat talking about CJ's adventure in Aaa when they heard a loud screech from the clouds. A giant eagle with Bubblegum on its back came flying down from the clouds. They landed next to the trio. Princess Bubblegum hopped off the giant bird, carrying a bundle wrapped in cloth.

"Greetings, friends! CJ, I have my new device that will clear the tunnel here." the pink princess said, unwrapping the cloth from the object. It was a rifle with a drill in place of where the barrel would be.

"Nice. How's it work?" CJ asked.

"Well, you see the drill here. Excavating and such. Now here's the part of my own designs. This small box with the green on button and red off button is the laser heating generator. It heats up the drill while the trigger activates the spinning mechanism. I've tested it on several of Ooo's hardest materials, and it cut cleanly through all of them. Would you like to do the honors?" Bubblegum explained, holding out the rifle to CJ. CJ took it, and turned it on.

"Alright, let's do some diggin'." CJ placed the drill against the debris and let her rip. In less than ten minutes he could already see light from above.

"Hey, CJ! Didja make it up there yet?" CJ heard Finn call.

"Does the bear shit in the woods?" CJ called back, knocking out the last few pieces with his gauntlet.

"I'll take that as a yes." Finn replied. CJ slid down the tunnel and rolled out. Bubblegum approached him and took the rifle.

"Here ya are, miss." CJ said, handing it over.

"Hey, CJ. You gonna show Bubblegum the, you know..." Jake gestured.

"Oh, now why'd you go and say that? Oh, what the hell. Not like it's gonna kill anybody." CJ took off his hood and fedora.

"Fascinating." Bubblegum said when he exposed his fur.

"Well, I'm over and out. Gotta check what's up topside." CJ said, crawling back into the tunnel. Finn and Jake followed after him.

"Well, if you ever wanna pay us a visit, you know where we are." Finn said, giving CJ a thumbs up.

"See ya, dude. Don't be a stranger." Jake said.

"Got it. See ya. Have a nice day!" CJ called over his shoulders. He lifted himself back through the hole into the place he called home.

_It starts soon..._


	18. Chapter 18: Ramona's Burial

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Eighteen: Ramon's Burial

CJ dove behind a bush as he realized the worst truth possible.

He couldn't go home. People would fear the way he looked. Scientists might even come cart him off to a government lab and experimnt on him. His friends, family, and old life were gone. He leaned against the old tree and covered his face with his paws.

"Son of a motherfucking bitch!" CJ shot out quietly. The streets were bustling with people. He saw a group of his friends over at an ice cream parlor. He even saw his parents over on a sidewalk.

He had to go back to Ooo. He stood over the hole in the ground, which he had deemed "The Rabbit Hole", and turned around to give out the biggest wolf's howl he could. He alerted people ofr over a mile. He dropped into The Rabbit Hole back to Ooo.

* * *

CJ crawled out of the hole and looked around. Finn, Jake, and Princess Bubblegum riding on her giant bird next to them were going to the Candy Kingdom. He sprinted after them, and eventually caught up.

"Oi, wait up, guys!" CJ yelled. They all spun around and stared at CJ in disbelief.

"Oh my Glob! CJ, I thought you went back to that tunnel!" Finn exclaimed.

"Yeah, dude. Why'd you come back so early?" Jake asked. CJ touched his finger against his neck fur and grinned.

"People where I come from aren't entirely used to unique characters like me, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, or most of the people here in Ooo. They're mostly used to people like you, Finn, save for when I was human." CJ explained.

"Really?" Bubblegum asked. CJ nodded.

"Looks like you're stuck with me." the wolf said, chuckling.

"Sweet." Jake replied.

"Hey, guys. Important detail I forgot. We forgot to bury Ramona!" CJ yelled.

"Oh, crud. Forgot. Yeah. We'll have to see about that thing with you tomorrow. One of CJ's old friends is, uh, in Globby World." Finn said to the pink princess.

"Very well. Give my blessing to your passed friend, CJ." Bubblegum said, her voice said with slight sadness.

"Will do, PB. Have a nice day." CJ started walking back to the tree fort, Finn and Jake trailing behind him whilst they waved to Princess Bubblegum.

"We dug a grave and got a casket for Ramona while you were in Aaa, by the way, CJ." Finn said.

"Thanks, guys. I appreaciate it." CJ replied without turning his head.

* * *

CJ, Finn, and Jake lifted Ramona's casket into the grave as rain started to pour down.

"Well, let's go ahead and dig, CJ." Jake said. The rain started puring down heavier while Ramona's grave was filled with dirt.

"CJ, you wanna say something, dude?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. Pardon me if I start crying, guys...Dear heavenly Father, who thou art in Heaven, please watch over our dearly departed friend while she makes the ascent to your holy kingdom. We ask that you guide her, bless her, and may she have a wonderful afterlife. She was a tough girl, always held her own, and most of all, was the best friend I could have asked for. I thank you for having her been in my life, and for all you have ever done for me. In your name I pray, amen." CJ prayed, choking up and crying mid-prayer. Finn and Jake started sniffing when tears poured down CJ's face.

"We're gonna go ahead and go inside, CJ. You stayin out here?" Finn asked. CJ nodded. His friends left him as he sat next to the gravestone.

As he had done before back on the surface, CJ let out a wolf's howl that rang out clear across Ooo, and straight into Aaa.

_/_

_Believe me when I tell you, guys. It wasn't easy for me to write this chapter. Hope you like it._

_Have a nice day!_

_CJ Lightning 24_


	19. Chapter 19: It Ends Here

Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Nineteen: It Ends Here

The Ice King.

A major part of this adventure.

CJ had his eyes locked on that mountain of his from the perch atop the tree fort.

"Hey, CJ! Where'd you go, man?" the wolf heard Jake call.

"In the lookout." he responded. Finn and Jake climbed up. Finn followed his gaze to the blue mountain.

"You're going over there, aren't you?" Finn asked.

"Yep." CJ said silently.

"And you're going alone, too?" Jake asked.

"Yep." CJ said again. The wolf stood up and walked to the edge of the lookout.

"You sure you don't need us, dude?" Finn said, standing up after him and stopping CJ in his tracks.

"Very." CJ dropped to the ground, curling up and using his gauntlet to prevent him from taking any damage. He shook dust from his shoulders and marched into battle one last time.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the Ice King's mountain... _

Ice King paced around his room, Gunter quacking and following at his feet.

"Hmm. Surely CJ couldn't have gone off to that strange land, could he have? No, that's impossible. I'm the only one who knows about it. Well, there is the possibility with Finn and Jake when I captured them and forced them to read that fanfiction I made, but...no, they thought I was crazy and made it all up. But I do have a sneaking suspicion that Finn caught my lie and suspects something. What do you think, Gunter?" Ice King said to himself, rambling on about his thoughts. As soon as Ice King said a word to the small penguin, Gunter leapt onto a shelf and pushed a bottle off of it, hitting the floor and breaking it.

"Wank." Gunter quacked.

"Gunter! What did I tell you about breaking bottles?!" Ice King roared.

"Wank." Gunter quacked again. Ice King was about to start yelling at Gunter again when he noticed a dark figure moving across the snow toward his mountain.

"Is that him? No, it couldn't be...he's dead and gone. That bolt I shot at him made him vanish. There's no conceivable way! But if he is here, he must have gone to that land. I doubt he's here to become my commandant again, not after what he's been put through." Ice King whispered to himself.

"Wank." Gunter interrupted.

"Gunter, I believe it's time for CJ to get reacquainted with his old troupe. Time to send in the snow beasts." Ice King snickered.

* * *

_Back outside... _

CJ's boots crunched through the snow.

Then he stopped dead.

A low rumbling came to his ears, and his feet felt the ground shake. He got into a fighting stance and prepared for the worst. Seconds passed by while a mass of upright snow piles with black coals set on the top came charging from the mountain.

"Great. Snow beasts. Least a hundred." CJ muttered to himself. They encircled him.

_Deja vu._ CJ thought, eyes darting around, checking to see if any bolted for him. One roared behind him and rumbled forward. CJ snapped his gauntlet back, connecting it with the snow beast's face. It shattered to powder. The other snow beasts remined dormant.

_Now we get to play the waiting game._ the wolf thought, keeping his eyes focused on a particularly edgy snow beast. It and four others jumped at him, beating him down with arms made of solid ice. He drew his scythe with the quickness and spun around, knocking back the monsters. He spun the scythe, jumped forward, and beheaded one. Three others reared their arms back. CJ obliterated one with his gauntlet, chopped the other in half, and saved something special for the one behind him. He shot his leg out, knocking the beast's head clean off. Shit hit the fan real quick after that.

Basically, the whole mass of snow beasts charged him at once. CJ swung like a bat outta hell, making piles of snow and lumps of coal build up into giant heaps. The next thing he knew, there were two out of the original hundred twelve CJ counted earlier. They lost their nerve and attempted to shuffle away. CJ caught the closest one around the neck with his scythe and beat its head in with his gauntleted hand. He leaped from its shoulders and watched as the last one get almost to the foot of the mountain. CJ chuckled and threw his scythe. It planted itself in the back of the snow beast's head. CJ walked up to the beast, yanked his scythe out, and watched its body hit the floor. He started climbing the mountain.

* * *

The Ice King stared in disbelief.

"How in Glob's name does one man defeat over a hundred monsters? Ugh. Well, the ice behemoths'll should help. Beating him sneseless might teach him some respect for his superiors as well. CJ isn't walking out of this mountain on his own volition." Ice King grumbled, watching as CJ made his way up the mountain.

_The end is here! _

* * *

CJ pulled himself up through the open window.

"Hmm. Anybody home? Your front door was open." CJ called out. He was greeted by a giant force pelting against him, causing him to fly forward into a wall. He tumbled to his back and sat up.

"Well, CJ. How was your time in Aaa?" Ice King asked, emerging from the shadows.

"Fucked up." CJ replied, standing up and brushing off his shoulders.

"You should speak in a more respectful manner, CJ. My ice beasts and I are going to beat some sense into you. But if you beg for mercy, I won't have you broken in half." Ice King said, losing that shark-toothed grin.

"Why don't you go blow it out your ass?" CJ retorted, standing up and running to the wall, kicking off of it into a collision course with one of the monstrosities. It ran to meet him. He flipped upside down and chopped at the behemoth's head. It connected and ripped down to the base of where its spine would have been. It cracked in half and lay dead. The other ice behemoth dashed forward. He reared back the gauntlet and launched it forward. The impact exploded the giant, sending ice shrds flying everywhere. CJ shook some of the shards off the gauntlet, looking for the Ice King. The blue wizard was flying through the window. CJ dashed to him and jumped out of the window, aiming for his leg.

CJ caught hold, making the Ice King fly off course.

"Gah! Get off my foot, you idiot! You wanna kill us both?" Ice King crashed onto a flat area of the mountain. While their bodies rolled across the snow and ice, the scene where Ramona fell to her death because of Ice King replayed in his mind.

_Ice King laughing._

_CJ grabbing for Ramona._

_Missing._

**_The horrible crunch of snapped bones._**

CJ adrenaline shot up. He leaned on his back and kicked up to a stand. CJ saw Ice King standing up. He rushed forward, planting the bottom of his foot into the blue man's head. The wolf picked up the blue man and lifted him by the scruff of his tunic over to the edge of the mountain.

"How about I drop you and make you fall to your death, huh?" CJ growled.

"P-p-please, don't! I'm sorry! Have mercy!" Ice King stuttered.

"Now that brings her back, now doesn't it?" CJ snarled, drawing the gauntlet back. He desperately wanted to end the sorry sonuvabitch's life, but something held him back. Like an invisible force called down to stop him. CJ stared at the Ice King. He lowered the gauntlet and felt the force drift away. Grunting, he tossed the Ice King away like the piece of garbage that he was. He drew the scythe again, snapping it into the side of the mountain and grinding down. He kicked off near the bottom and slid down a snowdrift. Looking back up at the mountain, he dismissed all thoughts of anger. That was all that had existed in him.

Now?

He felt calm for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Finna and Jake sat at the couch. So far, they hadn't done anything but wonder what happened to CJ.

"Dude, do you think letting him go by himself was the right thing to do?" Jake asked.

"I dunno, bro. I just don't know. All we can do is, like, wait for him." Finn replied.

"Man, I still think we shoulda gone with him." Jake protested.

"No, you shouldn't have." a voice said behind them. Finn and Jake spun their heads in direction of their voice.

"Holy schmow! CJ!" Finn exclaimed.

"What happened? Did you win?" Jake asked.

"I woke up." CJ told them.

"Is that all?" Finn asked.

"Not really. I think when I was about to kill Ice King...Ramona's spirit stopped me from sinking any lower. She held me back." CJ answered.

"Whoa. Intense, man." Jake said.

"I think I'm gonna lay these old weapons away. They're of no use to me anymore." CJ walked upstairs to the top of the treefort in the part next to the bridge. He sat them in the corner. And descended back to the living room.

"So, uh...now all that's done...anybody wanna play Be-Mo's new game with me?" Jake asked, picking up a controller.

"Sure." Finn and CJ said in unison. Finally, CJ had a moment of peace. All the fighting, all the conspiracy, all the madness...was over.

_**At least for now...**_

_**THE END**_

* * *

**To be continued in:**

_**One Last Time**_


End file.
